The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-03-02
EetlowEkg q fAg cIscda
fiiS Sfiase1fanSous Crowd OF svindlerd
That Foilowesi tine Old Ttme shows.

3iis sffseeffa1eous Crowd OF svrIndlerS
That Followed tine Old Ttme shows.
Some years ago every circus had IFS
train of camp followers sitie show p.cn.
monte Snaps. thinlhle nggers, short
change operators aud misccN Nanecils scala
wags, which most managers Sold icenses
to. to carry ON their operatiors on slle
grounds hired by the eife6Ss Some men
advertised privileges for sale: ana 1trould
negotiate with three ecard nonto sheIs or
anybody else who proposed 10 do any
thing TO the public short of nniirders
Cirrns men who remember when, ell
their travelling was done IN wagons tell
qneer stories about a certain old limo
manager. They do declare that he sold
the exclusive right of roblling clothes
lines ON the route. and agreed TO prevent
ANYBODY else with the show from lsiac.ll-
ing upon that preserve. To Gnolher slle
accorded tho gains of goi1g under tho
seats during the performance and pick
ing up the pockctbcoks. 1is,hdlSerolliefs
and other articles dropped Y sisetStof.;.
II Is said that professional l,ickpct kct
paid him 81, 900 and a l,crccnt:tst fef tilc
right to work tho crowd after the slroyv
was ,oIt. Tho circus man sIlas'cf linn
promise ON his professional EpntT not TO
NlGhAG AtAN III hNA NAsfgglis
or before the opening of the slow. as lie
wanted to get his legitimate profit ont If
their pockets first and also give the other
fakiTS a fair ehances Sometimes this
mnn got bankrupt in Lad season, and
his outfit would be sold by sheriff. The
next year he would start again without
a cent, sell privileges to tho fakiIss to get
little capital, buy some old circus prop
erty, patch mp show and take 10 tho
road again. BE usually found iticsir-
able to change the naInc of his circus
and disguise the outfit when going over
route Tho seeoIId time.
Tint was the kind of thing that hurt
the business and gave circtscs generally
a bad name says an old Snowman
People got SO TINT they expected 10 bo
swindled if they went near circus tent
They never could tell which was tho
regular ticket Office, because there wcro
SO many fakirs selling tickets and giving
short change. That wns about tbe simplest
and most successful way of swindling
the public, and there were several varia-
tions worked on ii. Ono was to double
up bill IN n pile so that both ends would
count. Another was to keep n 81 hoto
concealed In the hard ready for All
emergency, and when somebody handed
up ten tho falsir would look at. ii, say
he couldn't change ten, and hand hack
the one which he llad dcxtcrously sllbs.i.
tuted for tho ten. The victim, not -hav-
ing seen the slcight of lland, would
pocket the bill without looking Mt it in
the crowd. and Pass on ~ the next ticket
stand. He would hand tIp tllc hill there,
get his ticket and begin clamoring for his
change, lie would swear that lac gave
ten and the ticket man. of course, would
~,
row, ard the fnkir who stole the ten
wouldn't he in it.
once saw man go llp to ticket
seller four times. hand him $40 lill each
time antl grt only $7 change instead of
the 80, to which he was entitled After
the last time he said to the falkir: 1--we
been here four times with $40 bills and
you've beaten me out of Sc every time
Now, will yoa toll me how you do III"
The faliir clleerfully said lie would and
showed the trick. The victim tlidn.t lie
nland his money hack. He only wanted
to learn tho game in order to play il him-
self, and he considered the information
Cheap mt So. But that business doesn't
PAT In the long run. Tic shows tlhnt er-
courage it and have gang of faliirs
around all the time, finally go TO pieces.
The people won't go near them and they
manager wants his patrons robbctl, and
nowadays the most fragrant faking is TO
he found only among the snap shows
that work the country districts and lilo
south. Barnum goes 50 far as 10 pro-
hibit eteff file selling of lemonade, pea
nuts and song books in the tent. and
there are no privilege men outside. lIe
finds that it pays TO keep his chow clcar
OF even the suspicion of falSirs, and tho
other showmcn are coming around to his
plan.
1 once knew n circus manager 10 sell
bogus blind lS,esg;tr privilege to n faliir,
and the follow collected pretty good
revenue on the Grounds Aid tylfacketf Tn
with the manager. But the quecrcst ar
rangement i ever saw was IN n show Tint
Travelled by rail, and was a I,retty big
concern. One end of the Office car was
fitted up for ticket window and ray
Office. In the other end was "A faro law
out, and between were couple of poker
rooms. The manager hired ancxpcrt old
gambler to deal faro, and FIAT feature Of
the show WIS always running. II wasn't
intendedto catch the public. though. Tho
circus employees used TO draw their raw Mt
one end of the CsIr, and go atotnd and
blow it in ut the other end. Ncaffy all
gamblcd, and they couldn't resist Tho
temptation Of coy Eame right under
their noses. Nearly all the salary money
came right back into tie treasury. and IL
didn't cost Ghe management anything for
talent except the salary of tIIe faro s.c:,Icr
and what he could hoI.I ont ON tie quiet,
Uncle Bill III Chicago Herald.
Manual TRIMMING. Glasses